


The strongest in the Village

by purplefox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Death Fic, F/M, Universe Alteration, grief hallucinations, no happy ending, sad drabble, sad fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 03:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5852764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neji was a Hyuuga</p>
            </blockquote>





	The strongest in the Village

**Author's Note:**

> Just a drabble that I wrote sad over my Otp not being canon for the wrong reasons. So I played a bit

Many got bored with peace but not Neji. Not after the way that their peace had been earned. He lay on his back in the middle of the training ground. his team’s training ground. their first one and thought of the past.

He could still remember how aggravating his team had been and how they had grown on him. How he had learned to tolerate them and of course, how he had been able to put aside his frustration and anger and fully accept all of them.

But thing were different now. With the village going through its changes. With his clan doing their own. While everyone moved on he was somehow still stuck.

He still did his missions efficiently. His tasks. He still trained hard and to anyone else he would appear to have remained the same.

Except that things were not the same.

A strong wind blew. Rustling the trees overhead making them shake their leaves. Neji listened to the sound of their dance and thought of the several times in the past he had remained in this same spot and just listened.

_“Neji.”_

It was not real he knew that but it still sounded real. It still felt real and it felt that if he opened his eyes he would see her back as she practiced. Hear the sound of her summoning her weapons or practicing her withdrawing moves with her scrolls.

He bit his lip and fought to breathe as his heart clenched tight in his chest.

He opened his eyes slowly and sat up his gaze on the play she would have stood. There was nothing. Just leaves blowing in the wind and over the spot Tenten would have stood. She would have stood and looked back at him in the way she always had. That understanding conspiring way.

_“Neji are you going to sit all day?”_

He stood slowly and looked behind him. Tenten stood behind him a hand on her hip and her large scroll balanced at her side. She looked amused and her gaze was on him but he knew better.

But she looked almost exactly the way he had last seen her. Her Shinobi hitai-ate. Her gloves and her jacket. Part of him wanted to throw himself on her and his knees shook from the need to do just that. Above them a hawk cried and Neji registered the message even as he looked at her smile.

_“The Hyuugas are one of the strongest clans in the village. As of now they are the strongest in the village.”_

_“Is that so.” Tenten hummed her eyes had glinted in amusement. “All the Hyuugas?”_

_“Every last one. The Hyuugas are different to many clans. Strength in every aspect is our pride.”_

_“If you say so.” Tenten had chuckled. “No need to get so sensitive.” She teased. Neji had rolled his eyes when her back had turned._

What was he doing? He took a step towards her. Slow careful an almost stroll. Then he took another. And another. Her smile grew but it was sad as well. He was two steps away from touching her. Neji clenched his hands into fists kept them by his side and strode forward.

His heart cracked as he passed right through her. He knew it was an illusion but it still hurt. He could still recall how when he had leapt to Hinata’s and Naruto’s defense...she had lept to his and done so much better. Between the two of them they had managed to protect Naruto and many others.

But she had died and he could not allow himself to forget that. Part of him had been broken that nothing would come true now but the part of him that had been ready to do anything for his friend understood why she had done what she had done.

But he missed her. And he kept seeing her. But somehow. He felt as though this would be the last time. It was time for her one year memorial. It was time to keep going. Stand up strong and not mope. He could not fall. He was…

_“Hyuuga Neji.” Calloused hands gathered up his hair. “Maybe I should do a bun.”_

_“Only if you let yours down.” The hands left his hair._

He was a Hyuuga. One of the strongest in the village. He would be strong and bear this too.


End file.
